# Lambrusco wine



## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

Well, finally found a wine my wife likes, as well as my budget. Found this type of wine to be smooth and mildly sweet, which I would be willing to drink with a nice steak meal. I have not personally found a wine that I've been able to enjoy with my ribeye. Now I have a reason to go steak hunting tomorrow! :ss


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## paperairplane (Nov 8, 2007)

If your wife likes lambrusco, she doesn't like wine. Let me guess - she's drinking it on the rocks for that "riunite on ice - that's nice" feeling....

As for not being able to match a wine with a steak - what have you tried? I mean, virtually any quality red would work... merlot, cab sav, cag franc, meritage, syrah, petite syrah, pinot noir, malbec, chianti, etc etc etc

If it was me - I'd go with a CA Zinfandel or an Amarone, cover the steaks in cracked black pepper, sear in a cast iron skillet and serve with a little salted butter.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

I like my steaks with something a little more tannic and less berry-like than Zinfandel. I'm a big fan of Barbera, would love to try more Barolo but I just can't afford those.


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

Lambrusco is made in Emilia-Romagna, which is in the central part of Italy lying south of the Veneto and north of Tuscany. Emilia-Romagna is not one of Italy’s premier wine regions. It may, however, be the premier food region. This is the home of Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, Balsamic vinegar and Prosciutto ham. Over time, this frothy slightly acidic wine became a great accompaniment for the local foods slightly salty, slightly dried foods. The rich, fruity style matches the food of the area perfectly. Lambrusco cuts through the food with its acidity. The bubbles aid in the digestion of the rich cream sauces and fatty meats.

Lambrusco is the name of a grape varietal. It is a prolific grape that produces good if not spectacular wines. It was known in Roman times as Labrusca and written about by Cato the Elder. Cato wrote that the grape was so productive that a half an acre could yield 300 amphorae of wine. Pliny the Elder also wrote about the use of these grapes in a bitter concoction for medicinal purposes. It became known as Lambrusco in the 18th century. Historically, like Moscato d’Asti in the Piemonte, Lambrusco was a wine made for local consumption and especially for the grower’s own personal use.


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

paperairplane said:


> If your wife likes lambrusco, she doesn't like wine. Let me guess - she's drinking it on the rocks for that "riunite on ice - that's nice" feeling....
> 
> As for not being able to match a wine with a steak - what have you tried? I mean, virtually any quality red would work... merlot, cab sav, cag franc, meritage, syrah, petite syrah, pinot noir, malbec, chianti, etc etc etc
> 
> If it was me - I'd go with a CA Zinfandel or an Amarone, cover the steaks in cracked black pepper, sear in a cast iron skillet and serve with a little salted butter.


In general, wine sucks with steak. Remember, that is for my pallet as not all pallets are created the same. Your right, she doesn't like wine...she's more of a "sparkling wine" type woman.


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

boonedoggle said:


> *In general, wine sucks with steak.* Remember, that is for my pallet as not all pallets are created the same. Your right, she doesn't like wine...she's more of a "sparkling wine" type woman.


That statement borders on the absurd.


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

pnoon said:


> That statement borders on the absurd.


ya think?


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## SuperDave (Sep 7, 2007)

boonedoggle said:


> ya think?


I must not like wine either. :tu My wife and I both love Lambrusco, White Zinfandel, Reisling, and Red Velvet from St. James winery in Missouri. We like the taste (and the effects) of this fermented grape juice stuff. :ss


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

SuperDave said:


> I must not like wine either. :tu My wife and I both love Lambrusco, White Zinfandel, Reisling, and Red Velvet from St. James winery in Missouri. We like the taste (and the effects) of this fermented grape juice stuff. :ss


In general, most wine snobs tend to overlook Lambrusco. They should read what some of the current wine reviews have to say about it.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

macjoe53 said:


> In general, most wine snobs tend to overlook Lambrusco. They should read what some of the current wine reviews have to say about it.


My opinion is there's a time and a place for almost any wine, so long as it's made well. The trick is to be open-minded enough to realize that. Too many people fall into the 'wine snob' trap I think.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Lambrusco has a negative connotation as being a cheap wine for an unrefined palette. I am curious as what good one would taste like. Does anyone have a recommendation?


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

mosesbotbol said:


> Lambrusco has a negative connotation as being a cheap wine for an unrefined palette. I am curious as what good one would taste like. Does anyone have a recommendation?


Read this:

www.intowine.com/lambrusco-effervescent-wine-italys-emilia-romagna-region


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

macjoe53 said:


> Read this:
> 
> www.intowine.com/lambrusco-effervescent-wine-italys-emilia-romagna-region


Very nice article. Thanks for the find!


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

While not Italian myself I grew up in an area populated by central Italians where lambrusco was pretty much the daily wine and I pilfered more than my share of glasses as a youth. To just dismiss a wine variety outright is absurd. There's something to be said for a young wine suited to local tastes. Not all wines are meant as an investment or to be fussed over with a thesaurus full of adjectives. In some cultures a light, fruity wine is the equivalent of a cold lager on a summer day. Sit outside at a long table full of family and friends sharing a meal and just try not enjoying a glass (not even a wine glass) full of lambrusco.


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## aldukes (Aug 23, 2007)

this is what I drink when it gets warm out: http://www.vinositeshop.com/product-exec/product_id/974/nm/Labrusca_Bianco_br_2006_br_Lini

I consider myself a borderline wine snob- and I love Lambrusco. My sister lived there for a Summer and sent me back a few bottles, been a big fan since. I can pick some bottles up if anyone wants.


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## Linder (Nov 8, 2006)

I have to admit this thread has convinced me to seek out a bottle for Mrs. Linder :tu


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